Not Your Average Article About Sleep
Our topic for today: Sleep Hygiene!
SLEEP HYGIENE:
There are MANY myths about sleep habits, and like anything, it can be overwhelming - so let’s dive in.
History Lesson:
Our ancestors lived by the cadence of the sun rising and setting (circadian rhythm). Some groups of people historically slept when the sun went down, waking for a period from 12AM-2AM, and then slept again until sunrise. They tended to their heating source and enjoyed a calm, low-activity period of zen. The common denominator in ALL sleep habits for our ancestors was that LIGHTS didn't exist. Fire was used for light and heat and fire is incredibly calming to the human body.
(Source: The Body Clock Guide to Better Health by Michael Smolensky and Lynne Lumberg, 2000)
Modern times:
Fast forward to today - not only do we have commercial grade lighting in all of our homes and stores, we also have blue light-emitting cell phones in our hands for multiple hours a day. Some sit in front of computers for multiple hours a day for work. This is a huge reason why so many people experience sleep issues and even the smallest tweaks in this area can have a tremendous impact on your overall health. (Have you ever noticed a Playstation loading screen? What color is it? That's right - BRIGHT BLUE. Coincidence? I think not.)
Why We Need GOOD Sleep:
Lack of sleep drives us to poor food choices. I REPEAT - this is not your lack of willpower or any other thing we convince ourselves of. Literally the two hormones associated with hunger and satiation (ghrelin and leptin) are suppressed when we don't get enough sleep.
Restoration and repair of the brain.
Anchoring of memories for long term storage of information.
Tissue healing and growth (because our bodies aren’t using the energy we normally spend talking, thinking, and digesting, it can spend it on important healing processes.)
Immune system function - the numbers and activity of every immune cell are higher during nighttime hours.
Detoxification - cells produce waste through energy use which must be escorted out of the body through the blood stream. Our brain cells shrink dramatically while we sleep, freeing up space by up to 60%! This allows more space between the cells for removal of toxins. (NTA, 2019)
Blood sugar regulation - one week of disrupted sleep can impact blood sugar regulation so severely that a person could be classified as pre-diabetic.
Hormonal imbalances - the thyroid and reproductive glands are directly impacted by poor sleep.
Modern Day Sleep Hygiene Habits to Adopt:
Consider amount and timing of caffeine: Did you know that everyone is different when it comes to caffeine clearing? For some people, 3 cups of coffee does nothing and for others, a tablespoon of caffeine can cause complete disruption of their day. Caffeine has a half life of 5-7 hours! Our clearing capacity also gets lower as we get older (because the enzyme that breaks down caffeine is produced by our liver and diminishes as we age.) Consider adopting a caffeine cut-off time. For me, it's 1pm. This is also my cut off time for dark chocolate, cacao, and any food items containing caffeine.
Lighting: Are you spending the majority of your day indoors looking at screens? Are your indoor lights more on the fluorescent or blue side? Consider making ALL screens and lights warm toned. This is a very easy thing to change on our phones/computers as all now come equipped with "night modes" and the ability to warm the hues. Swap your blue bulbs out with warm or "natural" temperature bulbs. If your lifestyle requires that you stay in front of screens later into the night, consider buying a pair of blue light-blocking glasses ($29).
Shift your main eating and exercise hours to daylight hours OR adopt an earlier cutoff time. (This one is so tough for me, because I ALWAYS want that reward snack after our daughter goes to bed.) If you go to bed at 10pm, do not eat anything after 8pm. And if you like to snack late, make it straight protein/fat. Having a processed or sugary snack can lead to our blood sugar being disrupted through the night and cause frequent night waking. Also consider herbal teas with valerian, chamomile, skullcap, lemon balm, or other natural herbs that promote sleep. This gives your gut the time it needs to be empty overnight so that it can perform all of the tasks outlined above!
Track your sleep. If your watch has a sleep tracker, use it! Let's talk together about how much or how little deep sleep you might be getting. For me, a really good night is anywhere between 1.5-2.5 hours of deep sleep. With this information, we can troubleshoot issues that may be preventing you from getting enough deep sleep (like a snoring partner or pet/child interruptions.)
Make sure your bedroom is VERY dark (blackout curtains, no brightly lit alarm clocks or blue notification lights). Make it a calm environment - salt lamps, essential oils, plants... make it relaxing to you. Also, pick a temperature close to 65 degrees.
This is a massive topic with many factors that can impact your sleep (or lack thereof). Many of us struggle with issues like insomnia, frequent night waking, shift work, and more. Some common medications have sleep disturbances as a side effect. Don’t ignore signs from your body that something may not be quite right. If you struggle in this area, let’s talk and see where there might be room for improvement!
Your devoted nutritional therapy practitioner,
Jenn